If you’ve spent some lazy days exploring the ever-changing landscape of King’s Cross over the last two decades, (and which Camdenist hasn’t, right?) you’ll most likely have stumbled upon the work of Global Generation.

They’re the charity that runs movable, educational green spaces in which to grow crops, learn new crafts and meet new people, while construction of Camden’s dynamic new neighbourhood rumbles on all around.

You may have been to one of their supper clubs, serving ultra-locally grown produce from a nearby planter made from scaffold boards, or found yourself in a yurt one afternoon learning how to make clay bricks, or perhaps you’ve simply marveled at the unexpected oasis of herbs being tended by happy children while hurrying past to catch a train.

From their trailblazing Skip Gardens to the last few years at the sprawling Story Garden behind the British Library (where regular readers will remember a Harrier Jump Jet once took off for New York in a crazy 1960s air race), the team and their volunteers have pioneered urban growing as a platform for wide ranging social and environmental benefit.

This year Global Generation turns 20, and is celebrating by announcing the quite phenomenal development that they’ve just been granted a 999-year lease on a piece of land at the top of the King’s Cross estate, finally laying down roots in a permanent spot after two decades on the move.

In this week’s Camdenist interview, we hear from co-directors Nicole and Martina about the unexpected twists and turns of the last two decades, their dedication to the local area, and their hopes for how this latest project may inspire similar green classrooms to crop up in urban developments elsewhere in the future.

Read the full story of Global Generation at 20 now.

FOOD & DRINK

🍳 Do brunch in Primrose Hill this weekend with our guide to all the best spots

A while back, we indulged ourselves with some ‘field research’ into the myriad options for a proper brunch that are clustered around the foothills of Primrose Hill.

No bottomless nonsense here, it’s a solid line-up of hearty shakshukas, superior full Englishes and delightful pastries all the way.

Now the bagel shop wars have added a new dimension to the brunchy smorgasbord, plus there are even more cafes to choose from - so we had to head back.

Fully updated for 2024 (wow, the price of a coffee sure has gone up 😱), enjoy and bookmark your comprehensive guide to all the best brunches in Primrose Hill here.

EVENTS

💡Light Up Kilburn shining bright

Kilburn’s festival of illuminations is in full swing, with lots of free events, workshops and performances to go seek out over the next week.

Among the highlights is Bass Tone Regeneration, which celebrates the neighbourhood’s deep connection with sound system culture. It features a giant speaker stack-inspired light installation, devised by Kilburn-based artist - and famously one of the first female DJs ever to play Notting Hill Carnival - Linett Kamala.

Her bling stack debuts as one of the attractions at the event’s closing celebrations, which will be held at Kilburn Grange Park next Saturday evening, but there’s plenty to check out in the run up to that, too, so go get yourself lit.

COLLABORATE

📊 This week’s 1-click poll

MUSIC

The pick of the week’s local live gigs

💃🏻It’s carnival time in Rio, so there’s a Brazilian music explosion at the Beat of Brazil Live: Carnival Special at the Jazz Cafe tonight, with D. Vyzor, London School of Samba and Quintal do Samba.

🎹 Tuesday (20th) sees chart-topping pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason (pictured above) play a rare solo show in London at The Scala, following her tour of debuts at many of the world’s great concert halls.

🎤 Swedish pop songstress Zara Larsson plays two nights at the mighty Roundhouse main space (on Wed 21st and Thurs 22nd), bringing her record-breaking streaming anthems into the live arena.

🎙️ South African born, London-based singer Baby Queen is at Lafayette on Wednesday (21st), performing as part of BRITs Week 2024 for War Child.

CAMDEN DIARY

Cute metropolitan madness

The weekly column: reflections on living, working and playing in the borough…

TUESDAY: In a few short hours, Camden demonstrated its truly diverse, often off-the-wall international heartbeat to us across a series of unconnected events. First up was the press launch of a new flagship branch of global retail sensation Miniso, opposite Camden Town tube. The shop deals in Japanese style ‘kawaii’ products, which are essentially designed to be uber-cute, unashamedly and unreconstructedly aimed at self-styled girlie-types, and are accordingly heavy on the bright colours, and the sweet flavours. It proved quite a sight to behold, made even more kawaii-tastic by the presence of assorted pink coquette aesthetic-clad influencers, who dashed about making gushing video content for their no doubt envious fans. In the week the the Body Shop went under, the Miniso make-up hub, brimming with shiny little plastic tubes and bottles, seemed to signal its natural successor, for better or worse. The store purposefully presents a consumerist overload, complete with in-store DJ and selfie opportunities aplenty. The next day saw crowds queuing around the block for the opening proper, so clearly the frenzy of plushie toys and luminous moju-moju drinks is going to be big.

Then to the Brunswick Centre, for a bowl of ‘numbing’ noodle soup at the new claypot and skewers spot DaGe. Much like the assorted such places at nearby Red Lion St, DaGe offers an authentic menu of select-your-own soups - and indeed has the vibe to match. As we looked around, the place was otherwise full exclusively with ethnic Chinese of all ages - and it was properly busy. This newcomer certainly lends the bustling and iconic concrete Brunswick shopping edifice the neon-lit buzz of an Asian city, and continued the eye-opening, globe-trotting theme of the night. Things rounded off on a completely different tack once more, just around the corner. We were at Goodenough College to see some of their students perform opera classics, and the room was pleasingly filled with faces representing absolutely all corners of the world. Despite the best efforts of Brexity politics, the borough felt more international than ever at every turn. And the opera singers and orchestra were all sounding suitably world-class to top it all off, too.

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